Samsung today held the opening keynote of their first Samsung Developer Conference. They keynote was squarely pointed at developers and getting them to support the latest SDKs and initiatives from Samsung. While no consumer-focused announcements were made, a lot can be gathered from what was and wasn’t said.

The big push at the keynote was around support for multiscreen applications with the Samsung Multiscreen SDK. Examples were given showing content pushed from phones to TVs in some interesting new ways. This got a lot of people talking about it and snapping quick pictures. The idea of watching a game while persistently showing what’s going on in another game is one that many have wanted, and with the proper devices and apps, the new Samsung Multiscreen SDK can make it happen.

Also shown was the Samsung answer to microconsoles like the OUYA or GameStick, the Game Pad (seen above). This device acts as a Bluetooth controller allowing either attachment to a phone by clamping to the top, or use as a remote with the device connected directly to a TV. The device looks interesting, has a good selection of buttons, I look forward to trying it out.

One of the most talked about Samsung devices recently has been the smart watch launched recently, the Galaxy Gear. Lots of Samsung employees were sporting them off and flashing them whenever possible. But only one mention was made of the device at the keynote, and that was done via a video from partner Ebay (in the video clip below). Not to mention that there are no developer sessions in the two-day conference focused on the device. Clearly this was a hey, look at us, we can put out a smart watch faster than Apple. But it’s not a device they are ready to support.

You get a free Galaxy Note 8, And You, And YOU!

Samsung also, as has become traditional at Android developer conferences, gave all attendees a device. This time it was an odd choice, the Galaxy Note 8, what is one of the oldest devices in the line of Galaxy devices, and probably the least interesting to developers. The reason for that is it sells less than other devices in the line like the Galaxy S4 and Note III. While I am sure developers are happy for the free device, it feels a bit more like a clearance of excess inventory than an enticement for developers to support a new exciting device.